Chief Operating Officer: job description

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The executive director is practically the deputy general director. But if we compare him with the direct deputies of the chief, then with full confidence we can say that his duties are much broader. The duties of the COO include overseeing all aspects of the work process in the company. In other words, if the CEO is engaged in drawing up a business plan, then the operational head develops and proposes tactics for its implementation. This separation of duties provides the head of the company with additional time to communicate with clients and partners, removing from him the responsibility to resolve internal issues and control the work of the organization.

Basic Powers

In most cases, the CEO has the right to attend board meetings, which gives him the opportunity to represent the interestscompanies when communicating with partners and investors. He is also entrusted with the signing of all documentation relating to the economic activity of the enterprise. The main function of the executive director is to control the production of products, as well as ensure the timely fulfillment of all obligations under the contracts concluded by the company.

Tasks

There is a list of the main tasks of an executive director in a modern, growing enterprise. The very first is the management of production processes. The operations director must draw up production plans and monitor the progress of their implementation by employees. Also, his responsibilities include monitoring the receipt of all the necessary resources for production, here we mean not only raw materials and materials, but also equipment and the selection of the necessary employees. He is also responsible for the maintenance of all production units.

He is responsible for monitoring employees so that they do not violate safety rules, the products produced are of high quality and meet all standards. He is responsible for all production costs and meeting deadlines. The CEO's job description includes the need to take measures that can increase production efficiency, take actions to reduce product defects, take steps to optimize processes, and increase labor productivity.

The officer holding the position of COO is responsible for personnel management. His responsibilities include planning the recruitment of the necessary number of employees to fulfill the company's plans, calculating the cost of personnel, including the financial resources necessary for its training.

Under his control is the management of administrative staff, if their staff exceeds 100 people. The COO must control the timely fulfillment of the deadlines for meeting obligations to the company's customers. He must also deal with all other operational issues, including the execution of production services, information technology control, technical support work and similar business issues.

Position categories

In practice, today's companies require employees for leadership positions that fall into four categories of varieties of COO duties. You can choose the right type of employee only by clearly defining what goals the company sets for itself and what result is required from such an employee.

Innovator

Most often companies need an innovator. This specialist will be able to take on the responsibility of maintaining a new strategic direction, leading the implementation of a set of measures that increase the efficiency of the company. In this case, you should choose applicants who have charisma, they should attract attention to themselves in order to interest employees with their ideas, lead the staff toachieve the goals of the organization.

Mentor

If the company has a young and inexperienced CEO, then it is worth considering the type of mentor. A specialist in this area will become a solid support, he will help to debug business processes, including the sphere of marketing, finance, sales, and so on. If the company has a need for such an employee, then you need to look for a professional with a large stock of knowledge, experience and proof of their implementation in practice. It is ideal to find an employee who already has useful connections so that he can help the company to establish contacts with potentially useful people for business.

Receiver

Some organizations are looking for a person for the position of chief operating officer, to whom it will later be possible to transfer control of the company. In this case, it is very important to find a professional who can continue the business in the same direction. You can not choose an employee who sees the development of the business in his own way. He must approach the matter in the same way as the general, their experience and vision of the prospects must coincide. Otherwise, serious conflicts may arise in the conduct of business.

Partner

Another version of the significance of the COO-partner position. Here it is important that the general and the executive share common values. The best option would be to select an employee who is able to supplement the existing management with their knowledge and skills. There are two examples that can show the ideal combination of the principles of two people in leadership positions.

In the first case, the CEO can be soft and liberalistic, while the operational one, on the contrary, is tough, and very carefully checks all areas of the company's work. In the second case, the ideal combination is the CEO who is involved in the development of the company, searching for new niches in the market and other external issues, and the second head should be in charge of internal processes and monitor the finances of the enterprise.

What a person who wants to take this position should be able to do

First of all, when applying for a job for this position, they look at the presence of higher education. Also, a plus will be experience in a managerial position, which is more than two years. It is equally important to have certain personal qualities, the necessary skills and knowledge that can ensure effective work.

Among the main qualities it is worth highlighting: organization, ability for analytical thinking and a systematic approach to solving problems, the ability to make responsible decisions, easy adaptation to dynamic changes, and organizational skills. It is also important that a person can speak in public, speak competently and have greater stress resistance. It is also important that he understands the area in which the company's activities are directed.

It is worth noting that the job description of the executive director in each company is different. There are basic criteria, but since this work is complex and requires a lot oftension, it all depends on the direction of the business and the nuances of the enterprise development strategy.

Responsibility

Because this position involves the management of the company, the responsibility assigned to the COO is no less than that of the CEO. By law, the person holding this position bears full financial responsibility. He is also fully responsible for all processes in the enterprise, including the work of personnel. The chief operating officer can be brought to administrative, labor, civil and criminal liability as an official of the company. He is also responsible for the consequences of decisions, orders, and so on.